Iran minister says CIA funding “rioters”: report

Reuters / ahra Hosseinian, Hossein Jaseb, Fredrik Dahl (2009-06-24)

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran’s interior minister on Wednesday accused U.S. spy agency the CIA of helping to fund “rioters,” stepping up accusations of Western involvement in street unrest following the country’s disputed election.

“Britain, America and the Zionist regime (Israel) were behind the recent unrest in Tehran,” Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars News Agency.

“Many of the rioters were in contact with America, CIA and the MKO and are being fed by their financial resources,” he said. The MKO (Mujahideen Khalq Organization) is an exiled Iranian opposition group.

(Reporting by Zahra Hosseinian and Hossein Jaseb; Writing by Fredrik Dahl; Editing by Louise Ireland)